Category
AI coding assistants: what they are and who makes them
Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code and 6 more, sorted into types, with the company behind each and where it is based.
Types of AI coding assistants
AI-native editors
These are standalone editors built around the assistant, so completions, chat and multi-file agents share one interface. You switch editors to get them. Cursor and Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) are the main examples, and Kiro belongs here too with its spec-first workflow.
Plug-ins for the editor you have
These install into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs and others, so your keybindings, extensions and habits stay put. GitHub Copilot, JetBrains AI Assistant, Tabnine and Cline work this way. The trade-off is that the editor vendor controls how deeply the assistant can integrate.
Terminal and CLI agents
Terminal agents take a task, read the repository, run commands and hand back a diff, without needing a specific editor. Claude Code and the Codex CLI are the leading ones. They suit scripted and CI use, and they reward people comfortable reviewing diffs in git.
Cloud and background agents
Cloud agents clone your repository into a sandbox, work on a task for a while and open a pull request. Codex cloud, Claude Code on the web, Cursor's cloud agents and Copilot's cloud agent do this. They free your machine but need a connected repository and tolerant review habits.
Facts at a glance
| Tool | Publisher | Based in | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Anysphere | United States | Free tier + API |
| GitHub Copilot | GitHub (Microsoft) | United States | Free tier |
| Claude Code | Anthropic | United States | Paid + API |
| OpenAI Codex | OpenAI | United States | Free tier + API |
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Cognition | United States | Free tier |
| Kiro | Amazon Web Services | United States | Free tier |
| Cline | Cline | United States | Free tier |
| JetBrains AI Assistant | JetBrains | Czech Republic | Free tier |
| Tabnine | Tabnine (acquired by Tricentis) | Israel | Paid |
